Exposure Lights Diablo Mk4 2012
Reviews / Lights
8,139
At A Glance
Exposure are a UK company who have been at the top of the light game for some time now. They specialise in all-in-one units, meaning the battery is housed within the unit, so there is no need for cables or wires. The advantages are obvious, especially when it comes to looking at lights for your helmet. The headlight is arguably the most important light when you are night riding. You need to be able to see where you want to go, which isn't necessarily where your handlebars are pointing! They have a huge range and the Diablo is their best selling helmet style light. Of course, you can mount it on the bars too should you so desire. The light features 3 LED's boasting an output of 1100 Lumens at maximum power, weighing in at just 106 grams that’s a hell of a lot of power for a small unit. New for 2013 is the Optimised Mode Selector, this allows you to "program" the light to work at your desired settings and get the most out of the light. Meaning you only use the modes you wish to, increase run times and don't have to click through lots of programs. There are no less than 8 settings available, all offering a range of options once in the desired setting. In all it adds up to 20 different light modes! Charging is through the charging port on the rear of the light. The whole package comes in an impressive case with a charger, USB cable and a lanyard, plus the all-important instructions!
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On the Trail
Fitted to your helmet with the low profile and nothing short of excellent helmet mount the light can easily be angled to point wherever you need it to. The mount is stiff enough to hold the light firmly in place no matter how harsh the terrain. Setting the light up using the Optimised Mode Selector can be a little confusing at first, but once you get your head around it you can easily select the best option for you. Just be aware that on the highest setting the light will only run for one hour. Some of the slightly lower power settings are far more juice friendly. We found that setting 5 offered two modes; high and low, and plenty of usable light, plus a solid 2 hours of run time on high, plenty for most winter rides. The selector button also glows a different colour to indicate the mode chosen, which is handy when on your bars, but not so much when on your head! In terms of the quality of the illumination, we have always been impressed with the Exposure lights, they certainly don't overestimate their power as some number grabbing companies do from time to time. On the high setting it is almost overkill, which is good news as it only last for an hour at that setting which renders it rather unusable for any ride of any length. The beam penetrates the trail really well, lighting the path ahead for some distance. We enjoyed riding with the Diablo Mk4, as it gives a good spread of light and is plenty bright enough for the gnarliest of trails. Most of all though we loved the fact you hardly noticed the light being attached to your helmet, and the low profile mount which keeps it out of the way of low flying branches...
Overall
The Diablo Mx4 is an excellent light, the perfect choice for your helmet we would argue, bright beam and well thought out, both in terms of the internal technology which offers a myriad of choice and in the excellently engineered helmet mount which is the best we have seen.
Run Times – 1 Hour on High (1100 Lumens)
Lux Test –
5m: 242
10m: 71
20m: 17
Weight: 106 Grams
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Videos
This review was in Issue 20 of IMB.
For more information visit Exposure LightsRelated
By Rou Chater
Rou Chater is the Publishing Editor of IMB Magazine; he’s a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, but his passion for bikes knows no bounds. His first mountain bike was a Trek 820, which he bought in 1990. It didn’t take him long to earn himself a trip to the hospital on it, and he’s never looked back since. These days he’s keeping it rubber side down, riding locally and overseas as much as possible.
